Comparative behaviour of local and exotic chickens in tests of fearfulness, anxiety and cognition

Abstract

Behaviour affects performance and productivity of poultry birds especially chickens, some behavioural traits are advantageous in a particular production system and may be of disadvantage in another production system. The present study compared behavioural of Nigeria Local Chicken, NLC (two separate samples of 11 Yoruba Ecotype) and its Exotic counterparts (11 Broilers and 11 Pullets) by use of the Open Field (OFT), T-Maze, Forced Approach, and Voluntary Approach Tests (FAT and VAT respectively) during two phases of Growth (0-4 Weeks, and 4-8 weeks age respectively). The former group (NLC) is better adapted to extensive management in the Nigerian Guinea savannah than the latter Results showed that Yoruba NLC issued a significantly (p<0.05) higher number of distress calls than the Exotic genotypes in the OFT at age 7 and 48 days, and the NLC issued significantly more calls at 7 days age. Broilers exhibited significantly lower OFT Latency at 7 and 48 days, and Broilers traversed fewer squares and spent less time ambulating than other genotypes at 48 days age. Ina T-maze, Broilers showed significantly (p<0.05) lower exploratory behaviour than other groups (higher latency to leave the start box). In the FAT, NLC showed lower Latency to flight (p<0.05) than the Exotic genotypes. Ethological test results indicate differences in the behavioural characters exhibited by Yoruba NLC and Exotic Chickens and such differences could embody the basis of anecdotal differences in the rates of survival under extensive management conditions, and may be subjected to quantitative genetic selection in the ongoing effort to produce improved chickens that incorporate a combination of desirable traits from both Local and Exotic chickens.